Phase 2 testing shows toxin levels to be safe for humans

The provincial government has publicly released their findings related to the second phase of environmental testing throughout the RMWB.

Testing shows no soil samples, either in burned or unburned areas, exceed their “Tier 2” guidelines. Tier 2 is noted to be the threshold for human safety.

In total, 62 soil samples were collected between June 2-19 in all neighbourhoods throughout the region. The analysis suggests that there is increased “salinity” in some soil samples, which may affect plant growth but not human health. Community gardens in the region have been deemed safe.

Small numbers of samples, both from burned and unburned areas, did show elevated levels of hydrocarbon or policyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that were above ecological guidelines. However, the province says these still don’t exceed levels that would endanger human health, and edible plants can still be grown in the affected soils.

You can read the detailed explanation of the results here. A map to where soil tests were conducted can be found here.